


Is it too latte to apologize?

by sunshinechibichan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Because he's a bird of prey, Bokuto is the number one wing man, Coffee Shops, F/M, Future Fic, HOOT HOOT, Highschool Relationship that ended badly, M/M, brokuroo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinechibichan/pseuds/sunshinechibichan
Summary: "Maybe years from now we'll meet again at a coffee shop down the road and start over."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, this is purely a self-indulgent fic that was inspired by overly-cliche quotes from Twitter. So for everyone who thinks Akaashi is bae and for anyone who longs to be part of the Karasuno Volleydorks family, feel free to indulge yourself.

You barely stifled your yawn as you shuffled your way into the train carriage along with the rest of the morning commuting crowd. You rubbed at your eyes and half-heartedly attempted to blink the sleepiness out of them, but it was pretty much a lost cause. The years of university life had taken its toll on you and the only thing that kept you pressing on was the fact that it was you were midway through your third year, and that held the promise of the end of incompleteable assigned readings and essays that demanded all-nighters from you.

Three and a half semesters to go and you would be graduating, assuming you don’t flunk any classes in these remaining year, that is. _Graduation_ , you thought, _and then off into the corporate world. Into the rat race you go._ You let out a quiet sigh as your bleary eyes scanned across the carriage of commuters, idly registering the similarly bleary-faced office workers.

 

_Oh._

Your heart did a little leap as your eyes caught on a sight that was all too familiar. Short, black hair curling into little tufts, bordering on disarray but still managing to give off the impression of neatness. Sharp ears that were almost elfin and a slim, pale neck that disappeared into the sea of bodies squished together haphazardly in the train.

_Akaashi..?_

He was positioned near the doors of the train while you were somewhere in the middle of the carriage, having been swept up by the crowd that had politely but determinedly pushed you in to ensure that as many people as possible could board the train. You craned your neck to try to get a better look, but it was difficult to do so without jostling someone else, and you didn’t want to be a bother to the passengers around you, especially not during the morning rush hour.

 

With your fists clenched, you could feel your pulse quickening as your silly heart began to pound along to the emotions you were unwillingly feeling. The memories came flooding in—first brief and segmented in moments, then as whole events. Little touches, his gaze, pearly whites shown in a rare full-blown smile, quotes of sweet lines—spoken and texted—that were arbitrarily deemed as significant by your head as much as by your heart, hours spent together, late-night conversations, promises that were made with full-confidence and the giddy optimism that accompanies affection but were to never be fulfilled in spite of the best of intentions when they were first made.

Well of course it would have been like something straight out of a fairytale if all the promises were kept. But it was precisely the fantastical nature of those promises that made them as impractical and unfeasible as living out a fairytale in reality. Plus, the entire relationship had begun on impulse and had been drifting in its own fantasy-world while consistently marred by impracticality throughout its course. Someone just needed to have the good sense to put their foot down and put a stop to it all. After all, you were a Karasuno first-year in Miyagi while he was a Fukurodani third-year in Tokyo and had only met twice or thrice at practice matches prior to the fateful training camp where you both decided to take the plunge, headfirst into a long distance relationship.

Not to say that the feelings that you had had for each other were not real—that was definitely very real and was what sparked off impulsive decision after impulsive decision in the first place. But the reality of the practical situation always holds the trump card, no matter how strong feelings may be. So when he first suggested enrolling in a college in Miyagi so he could be closer to you, you had wholeheartedly agreed in the excitement of it all. But as the date of his graduation from highschool drew nearer and nearer, you realized just how impractical it was and how silly you both had been in allowing you to limit his options and opportunities for the future.

At the very least, you could console yourself on the fact that it had been a mutual agreement when you decided to end the relationship. Although the decision to pursue the relationship had been impulsive and out-of-character for the ever-so-practical Akaashi Keiji, the practical side of him had, at last, made an appearance during the end of the relationship when you were berating him on the silliness of letting a girl be such a major factor in a decision that had the potential to affect the entire course of his future.

But you had chosen to cease contact with him ever since the relationship ended. Fearing that that same impulsive persona of his might make a reappearance, you had gradually weaned off contact with him and let yourself fade into the shadows of his past for the last five years.

 

The _whoosh_ of the train doors opening shocked you out of your reminiscing. Before you could catch yourself, you were already searching him out in the crowd, but only caught a glimpse of the back of his head as he alighted the train. _I’m just making sure it’s not him so I can calm down,_ you rationalized.

 

But you knew it couldn’t possibly be him. Because you’re in Miyagi and he is in Tokyo and the two of you are separated not just by hundreds of kilometres but also by the distance of five years of silence.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly got carried away talking about food bcos food is love c:  
> but this is my self-indulgent fic so I had trouble holding myself back

“Y/N, you've been isolating yourself way too much. If only we still stayed in the same apartment complex, it would be so much easier to stop you from doing this. I know uni keeps you really busy, but it's not good for you to be cooping yourself up all the time.”

“ _Hai, hai_ ,” you said, lightly dismissing your friend's nagging with a wave of your hand. “But here I am meeting you today, Yachi.”

You’d finally been able to find a break time in the midst of the hecticness of uni life and put aside the essays and lecture notes calling your name for an afternoon to meet your friend. You knew this nagging was coming your way and you huffed in resignation as you stuffed your hands deeper into your pockets as the two of you continued on your way down the familiar streets of the Miyagi prefecture you'd both grown up in.

“ _Soudesune_ ,” she says, letting out a sigh as she nods. “But we haven't met in almost two months, Y/N. And it hasn't been my hell week deadlines that have kept us apart.”

“So,” you emphasized, “let's not waste our time together on harping on my crappy habits and awful life decisions and instead have some fun catching up on each other's life, yes? How has non-hell-week-design school been treating you? Has there been anything interesting lately?”

“Oh! Of course there's been!” Yachi exclaimed and launched into lengthy, full-detail elaboration of design principles she'd picked up in the last few months of the semester while you sighed in relief internally at how easily distracted Yachi could be when it came to her passion for design. Even in your memories from your shared childhood days, there had always been a quiet but fierce determination that was fuelled by excitement and intrigue in Yachi when it came to craft projects; a fire that was normally replaced by anxiety and panic when it came to any other activity. In all your years of knowing her, the only other activity in which you saw Yachi with this same level of excitement and determination was in her role as a manager for the Karasuno Boys’ Volleyball Club.

 

Ah, the Volleyball Club. You were in your third year in middle school when Yachi first joined the Volleyball Club. Hearing Yachi gush about how awesome her experience was and how breathtaking it was to watch the games from up-close and how rewarding it was when all the trainings finally paid off and things clicked together, it was enough to make you want to experience it all for yourself upon entering high school as well. Plus, the regular trips to Tokyo for practice matches and training camps strongly appealed to your sense of wanderlust. Shortly after your placement exams had ended, you’d joined Yachi at Karasuno’s volleyball trainings, just to get a sampling of what it would be like.

This led to your initiation into the Volleydorks’ family and once you’d assimilated, there was no turning back. Hinata’s excitement at having more than one manager “just like all the super cool and awesome teams in Tokyo”, Tanaka and Nishinoya’s doting senpai act, Sugawara’s disarming smile and Daichi’s reassuring and dependable presence all combined to win you over. Very quickly, Kageyama’s menacing aura became not so menacing as you began to appreciate his efforts at befriending you despite his lack of social skills and even Tsukishima’s snarky and aloof stance gave way to sarcastic but humorous banter. When you enrolled in Karasuno High the following spring, it was impossible for you not to join the boys’ volleyball club as an official manager.

 

“Y/N… Y/N!”

You halted in your tracks before you walked face first into the hand that was waving in front of your face in an attempt to get your attention. Yachi pouted and you realized you couldn't recall what she'd last said.

“Ah, _gomen_ ,” you said, bowing slightly, “I was just thinking back about the days when we were managers for the boys’ volleyball club.”

The pout disappeared immediately as it was replaced with the same captivating enthusiasm you had witnessed in her all those years ago, the very same one that had compelled you to work hard to go to Karasuno so you could be a part of it too.

“Those really were the best times, weren't they! I'm so glad we get to meet up with some of them today at the café. Plus, I heard Suga’s baked goods are _to die for_.”

“And surely it would be _such a coincidence_ if a certain redhead is one of the baristas on shift today,” you said, wiggling your eyebrows at your childhood friend, trying but failing not to laugh at the growing redness staining her cheeks.

 

You took mercy on her and saved her from her embarrassment by continuing, “So, tell me more about Sugawara’s café. I know he's always had a keen interest in baking and that he was pursuing a business degree, but I never knew he’d had intentions to marry the two.”

Yachi jumped on the opportunity presented to her and explained, “Oh yes, it only started in his last year of uni. Growing disillusioned with the idea of working for a big corporation and such. I heard from Sawamura that the idea of being his own boss wormed its way into his head and grew too appealing to be refused. Plus, he felt it was a good avenue that would take advantage of his personable nature.”

“Refreshing-kun strikes again,” you joked, a nod to the nickname that Noya and Tanaka had teasingly given to their silver-haired setter.

Yachi giggled along and continued, “But his business partner is the complete opposite. Do you remember Nekoma’s Kozume-san? Apparently, the café is a joint venture between him and Suga. Suga requested for him to be his business partner because he thought his analytical skills from being a setter would grant him great business acumen and make him an invaluable business partner. Now he’s co-running the business from Tokyo while he finishes up his last year of uni.”

“Kozume Kenma?” you asked and Yachi nodded in response. Your eyes grew wide at that. “How did Suga ever rope him in? I don't recall them having much of a friendship.”

“They don't. But Hinata and Kozume-san do. And you know how difficult it is to say no to Hinata. But the funniest part is that Kuroo-san is here in Miyagi now too. Helping Kozume-san out in his absence or something along those lines.”

“Why does this sound like it's turning into a para-Volleyball Club of sorts?” You couldn’t help it when an eyebrow raised itself to accompany your questioning remark.

Yachi laughed in agreement. “I heard from Hinata something about Oikawa-san being a patron too, but I'm not sure of the details. But- Oh, we're here! You could just ask them the rest in person then.”

* * *

 

“Yachi!!!!”

Hinata’s exclaim of excitement—although, when is the kid not excited? —penetrated through the doors to the back room. Akaashi could easily picture Hinata’s leaping figure, hands on the counter and legs wide in an almost-split and a beaming smile on his face. The kid had way too much energy and whose genius idea was it again to hire him as a barista ie. confine him behind a counter that’s stocked with an abundance of caffeine?

“Ooh, Yachi’s here!” Suga said, endearment detectable in his tone. He paused his whisking and the bowl of cake batter he was attending to was left abandoned as he left for the service area of the café.

 

Akaashi looked up from his laptop, his eyes taking a moment to adjust, having stared at the screen filled with numbers for the past half an hour.

“Are you gonna head outside to see Yachi too?” he asked Kuroo, who was the only one still focused on his work. “Seems like everyone’s entitled to a break because of her arrival.”

 

Kuroo held up a finger as he saved his document. Another proposal for a new marketing idea, Akaashi guessed. When he was done, he turned in his chair to face Akaashi casually, or as casually as he could without hitting anything with those long limbs of his in the cramped office space of the café.

“The lil blonde shortie? The one who’s cute as hell but unapproachable because she shakes like a chihuahua the moment anything comes too close to her?”

“Are you still hung up on the fact that you couldn’t make any moves on her?”

Kuroo winced at the jibe and rolled his eyes at Akaashi’s deadpan.

“Alright, I’ll take that. But now I have another lil blonde shortie that is head-over-heels for me and I’m happily attached to, so hah.”

“He seems more head-over-heels for his video games than for you.”

“I’ll have you know, it’s precisely his ability to dissect and conquer games and his dedication to it that allows him to be so sharp in business and enterprise. Anyway, he’s just shy in public. He’s so different when we’re alone. He snuggles up to my side when we’re on the couch together and he makes the most adorable sounds when I-”

“Okay, I really don’t want to hear about what happens between you and Kenma behind closed doors. Let’s head outside.” Akaashi closed his laptop and stood quickly.

Kuroo guffawed obnoxiously at Akaashi’s steadily reddening cheeks and his obvious attempt at escaping the conversation. 22-year-old Akaashi Keiji still blushing madly at anything even mildly or remotely sexual. Kuroo clapped him on the back and headed out to the service area, still laughing and satisfied that he’d gotten the last laugh—literally—this round.

 

Later, upon hindsight, Akaashi realized he should have known something was wrong and should have known to turn back when he heard Kuroo’s laughter die down so rapidly. But it all happened too quickly that even his speedy setter-honed instinct couldn’t help him when his eyes caught yours and he understood the reason for the heavy silence that hung in the room.

* * *

 

It all happened so fast. You were talking with Suga when you heard a loud, obnoxious laugh that went quiet far too quickly, causing you to turn your attention and- _Oh._

You felt it in your stomach when your eyes met. The silence of the room was starting to get thick and overbearing. That is, until Yachi exploded.

 

“Oh- OH- OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T KNOW. THIS WAS NOT PLANNED AT ALL MAYDAY MAYDAY I’M HAVING A MELTDOWN. WHY AM I HAVING A MELTDOWN YOU SHOULD BE HAVING A MELTDOWN WAIT NO STAY CALM EVERYTHING IS OK. STAY CALM. CALM.”

You looked over to see that her arms were waving and gesturing about aimlessly and her entire body was trembling, sheer panic visible in her eyes. It snapped you out of whatever trance you were in and you grabbed her hands.

“Yachi. Yachi. Stay with me.”

It takes a good five minutes of encouraging her to take deep breaths with you before she finally eases back into her not-as-anxious-but-still-quite-anxious-state. Hinata takes over and leads her to a table by the window of the café, a nicely sunlit spot that shows off an excellent view that Hinata takes advantage of, swiftly diverting Yachi’s attention as he describes the scenery.

 

While you felt relieved that Yachi was in Hinata’s capable hands—he had, after all, picked up tips and tricks along the years of knowing her—that also left you in a very awkward situation and with nothing left to occupy you. The gnawing feeling in your gut that left you scrunching your toes and wringing your hands was steadily growing and you hurried over to where Suga was at the counter.

“Ah, Y/N-chan.” Suga smiled at you.

“Suga, I’m so sorry about the disturbance caused,” you spoke quickly in a hushed tone and bowed deeply. “It was really nice seeing all of you again, but I think it would be best if we left now.”

Although he didn’t make a sound, you could feel Akaashi’s gaze turn to rest on you. You resisted the urge to meet his gaze and kept your eyes trained on Suga.

“Haha, nonsense. You two just got here, what do you mean you’re leaving?” he said loudly, not caring to match your previous, discreet volume.

Hinata turned at these words, eyes wide.

“HAHHHH YOU’RE LEAVING SO SOON?!” he asked, approaching the counter.

“Ah, gomen, Hina-”

“Bbbut Yachi told me you guys were coming and I was looking forward to it all day and and and and we didn’t even get to talk that much yet and you’re leaving already?” Hinata’s arms were flailing and he pouted, and whatever awkwardness you were previously feeling quickly turned into guilt.

“Yes, we were all excited that you two were coming. And you’ve made the trip all the way down here, don’t let it go to waste by cutting it short. Plus, I’m already working on Honey Chamomile for Yachi, the leaves are already steeping and the honey is all set out already. So please, why don’t you take a seat and let us show you our hospitality,” Suga said, patting Hinata on the head. “Hinata, you need to show our guests your warm customer service just like how I’ve taught you.”

 

“Oh! Okay!” Hinata perked up at the opportunity for him to show what he’d learned so far. He took your wrist and led you over to the table where Yachi was and laid a menu before you. The page was filled with images of sweets that looked absolutely delectable, and a quick glance confirmed that Yachi was already engrossed in browsing through the selection.

“If you need any recommendations, just let me know! I will be happy to help,” he said with a bow.

“Hinata, although I appreciate your efforts at professionalism, you don’t need to be so formal with us,” you said and tried for a little laugh to lighten up the tense atmosphere. “We all know your personality is the brightest ray of sunshine around so you don’t have anything to prove to us.”

“Oh,” he said, scratching his head in embarrassment. “Was I too stiff?”

“No, no, you were good. It’s just that we’re friends and Yachi and I are here to catch up with you as much as we’re here to catch up with each other. Now would you like to grab a chair and join us?”

Hinata looked over to Suga who nodded, and pulled up a chair eagerly.

 

“How did you begin working in Suga’s anyway?” you asked.

“Well… My grades haven’t really been the best and I’m not like Kageyama who’s amazing enough to get a sports scholarship, so university was out of the question for me. But I wanted to continue volleyball, so Coach Ukai offered me a volleyball coaching stint for some of the younger kids in the neighbourhood. He says the pay isn’t enough to get me by though, and he knows how obsessive I get with volleyball, so he said he would only hire me on the condition that I find another part-time job that would give me another source of income.”

“Oh? And you approached Suga?” Yachi asked, looking up from the menu. “I’m still not clear on this part of the story.”

“To be honest, I don’t know if I approached him or if I was approached. Maybe we both approached each other at the same time. I just remember Kenma texting me about their partnership and then Kenma was asking me to ask Suga if I could work here, so I guess now I’m not sure if I was approached or if I approached them.”

Hinata tapped his chin, deep in thought.

“Oh wait, I’ve talked too much and I haven’t even taken your order. I should really get you drinks!” he exclaimed and shot up from his seat, only to be halted by the sound of Suga’s voice.

“No worries, Hinata. I’m two steps ahead of you. Honey Chamomile and an Earl Grey Tea Latte for our lovely ladies.”

 

Suga approached from behind you. You turned to find him carrying a tray with two steaming mugs and a plate of something very _very_ chocolate-y.

“Oh! Our mille feuille au chocolat! Guys, this is to die for,” Hinata said, pointing and gesturing excitedly at the chocolate stack with both hands.

“Suga,” Yachi said as she got up from her seat and bowed to ninety degrees, “I’m so sorry for causing such a ruckus in your café just now.”

Suga had just finished setting the food and beverages down on the table and tucked the tray under his arm. He ruffled Yachi’s hair as she straightened and gave her the smile that earned him his nickname as Mr. Refreshing.

“Hm, I’ll only forgive you if you promise to come visit the café more often,” he said, mischief evident on his face. “You too, Y/N-chan. After all, you were part of what caused the explosion.”

You rolled your eyes and picked up the mug of Earl Grey Latte for a sip, letting out a little sigh at the pleasant combination of the flowery notes of the tea and the creaminess of the milk. Yachi had also sat herself back down and was currently blowing gently at her own tea to cool it down.

“I’ll go back to manning the counter so Suga can have his turn at catching up with you guys,” Hinata said, standing to put his apron back on. “If you can stay for dinner, maybe we can go to Asahi’s family’s diner after I knock off.”

Yachi looked at you for your affirmation and you nodded, and Hinata smiled widely.

“ _Ja, mata!_ ” He waved and headed back to the counter as Suga took his seat.

 

“Suga, this looks amazing,” Yachi said, poking at the pastry lightly with one of the forks.

“Don’t tell me how it looks, tell me how it tastes,” he said, resting his elbows on the table and his chin atop his folded hands, looking at both of you expectantly.

 

You picked up the other fork and took a small slice at the stack. The fork cut through the flaky pastry easily, yet without making it crumble and disintegrate. You scooped it into your mouth, savouring the contrast in texture between the lightness of the chocolate cream and the crisp pastry and… the unexpected taste of a chocolate too dark for the unassuming appearance of the pale brown cream layers? You glanced up at Suga, confused but pleasantly surprised, and he chuckled.

“Of course our resident foodie would be able to detect the hidden surprise in our mille feuille. There’s a thin layer of dark chocolate feuilletine on top of the bottom-most layer of pastry, hidden by the chocolate cream. I thought it would give the cake more depth in flavour.”

You nodded as you swiped another bite.

“This is the most amazing cake I’ve ever tasted. And it’s not just my chocoholic heart that’s making me say that.”

“Well, I may have taken advantage of the knowledge of your chocoholism,” Suga said, laughing lightly.

 

You took a sip of your earl grey tea latte, emitting yet another sigh at the pairing of chocolate and earl grey.

“I’m amazed you remember my drink of choice too,” you said, taking another swig of the tea that had now cooled down to a more manageable temperature.

“Oh, I can’t take credit for that,” Suga said. “I got a recommendation from someone who knows you really well.”

You cocked your head to the side, but Yachi’s quick glance at a certain black-haired setter woke you up from your state of cluelessness. Your heart started beating just a bit harder yet again, and you willed yourself to maintain your calm exterior, lowering your mug to the table carefully.

“I’m sorry,” Yachi whispered, apologizing for her blunder again and you shook your head lightly, throwing her a small smile to assure her.

 

“Pardon me asking, Y/N-chan, but it was a mutual decision when you guys broke things off, right?” Suga asked. He knitted his brows as he leaned forward on his crossed arms that were presently resting on the table. Looks like Sugamama mode has been triggered. You chose to nod, fearing that Suga would read too much into your tone if you spoke.

“Okay, because that’s what I’d heard, but I hadn’t confirmed it with either of you. And that little incident just now just left me thinking that maybe things hadn’t ended as peacefully as I’d initially thought.”

Suga paused.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he asked lowly.

“ _Eh! Iie, iie,_ ” you responded quickly, waving your hand as if to shoo away Suga’s doubt. “It’s nothing like that. You know Kei- Akaashi isn’t that kind of person. He may sound sharp-tongued because of his humor, but he isn’t an ill-natured person in the slightest.”

Suga studied you carefully for a moment and gave in when he found nothing but earnestness in your words.

“ _Soudesuka_ ,”  he said, a tad bit of doubt creeping into his words. He leaned back and returned to a normal, upright sitting position. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. But, just in case, please don’t hesitate to share anything with me if there’s anything you need to share. I know my protectiveness may come across as being a little intense, but at least I’m still better than Daichi.”

 

Yachi giggled a little at that jibe, and that released the tension that was beginning to build in the conversation.

“Ah, remember when he sat Akaashi down to have a chat with him when he was first starting to date Y/N? I can’t believe Sawamura actually did that,” she said and shook her head at the memory.

 

You rolled your eyes as you recalled the scene. With both you and Akaashi in the volleyball community, it was virtually impossible for the two of you to be in a relationship without the Karasuno boys finding out about it. Upon hearing that you and Akaashi had started going out, there had been various reactions from your senpais and naturally, some of them were concerned for you. Sawamura and Sugawara, in particular, had been rather concerned over whether it was a wise decision. After all, a relationship between a first-year and a third-year, _and_ a long-distance relationship at that, was not something to take lightly and was not going to slip by their attention unnoticed. So even though their initial impression of Akaashi had been a good one—what with his aura of sensibility and responsibility that contrasted so starkly with Bokuto-san’s volatile one, plus his adeptness at managing Bokuto-san’s wild personality—it was still not enough for them to feel at ease allowing you to go through with this.

Sawamura had gone full Dadchi. At one of the Tokyo training camps that he was visiting as an alumnus, he’d taken Akaashi aside after dinner ‘for a word with him’, against all your protesting. In his no-nonsense manner, he’d firmly laid down rules to adhere to, his expectations of Akaashi, and questioned him on his intentions in a manner just short of an interrogation. You finally understood what Asahi meant all the times he warned you of how scary Sawamura could get when he was angry. To Akaashi’s credit, he’d taken everything in stride in his calm and collected manner, answering every single one of Sawamura’s questions coolly but genuinely. And to be fair to Sawamura-san, ultimately, you were grateful he’d done what he had. You knew he didn’t have much of a relationship with the Fukurodani setter before this, and to approach him like this required a fair amount of boldness on Sawamura’s part. And all this just to protect you. He’d done more than your own biological father had, given that he was navigating his own new relationship with his then-girlfriend and your current step-mother.

Not that you held any grudges against your dad or felt much loss at not having much of a family during your teenage years. The Karasuno boys had pretty much become a family of sorts to you anyway, so you didn’t feel much of an absence of familial love in your growing up years. Perhaps the only thing you felt resentful over was having to move houses in your third year of highschool upon your father’s remarriage. Having to move from the apartment complex you and Yachi grew up in and relocating to a place away from your best friend of 16 years was not easy for you, but apart from that, your dad had tried to give you the best life he could have and you were grateful for that. And your stepmother was a pleasant lady who treated you nothing but kindness and respect, so you had no qualms with her either.

 

“He’s always had this father-guardian-complex because of Kiyoko’s countless suitors, so he feels like he always has to fend off guys from approaching our managers. Just that Kiyoko was not interested in entertaining any of them, so he never had to deal with a situation like Y/N’s. When he found out about Akaashi, it broke his dad meter,” Suga said, between laughs.

“Did he also fend off your advances on him then?” you joked.

“Oh, no. I was so charming that he didn’t detect anything and by the time he did, it was too late, he was in too deep and completely besotted with me,” he retorted.

“And it is boys like you that created Sawamura’s dad-complex,” Yachi chipped in.

 

The bell at the door jingled and the three of you turned to find none other than Oikawa Tooru sauntering in through the doors.

“Ah, it looks like _Koushi no Koohii_ ’s number one patron has arrived. I need to return to the counter then. It was nice chatting with you girls, but Oikawa is a demanding man and I need to go.”

Suga got up and with a little wave, returned to the counter. The two of you watched as Oikawa inspected the cake display, occasionally pointing at a cake or tart and questioning Suga on the dessert with a frown and crossed arms. Finally, he decided which baked good would satisfy his tastebuds for the day, then proceeded to select his beverage in the same manner, but not before Suga caught your eye and rolled his eyes with an amused smile on his face.

* * *

 

He watched as you sipped at your tea and smiled down into the mug. A sense of satisfaction bubbled up inside of him, a little bit of pride that he still remembered your food preferences and a little bit of reassurance that perhaps things hadn’t changed as much as his insecure side had led him to imagine.

 

A hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped, whipping his head to come face to face with a smirking Suga.

“I’ve called your name three times already. Oikawa wants a flat white.”

“ _Sumimasen_ ,” he said, bowing quickly and getting to work immediately, partly in apology and partly to escape the embarrassment of being caught.

 

Between pulling the espresso shot and steaming the milk, it was too tempting not to steal glances at you, especially when standing at the coffee machine meant facing your direction and your merry laughter rang out in peals across the quiet café.

 

He finished up the order and placed it before Oikawa where he was seated in his usual seat—right in front of the bar so he had easy access to pester the baristas on shift.

“Another heart-shaped latte art for me, Akaashi-kun?” Oikawa said. “I knew you just couldn’t resist my dashing good looks.”

Akaashi grabbed a coffee spoon from the drawer and stirred the foam of Oikawa’s coffee.

“Oops, forgot your spoon. And no, I just can’t do any other free pours confidently right now, nothing to do with your appearance. Sorry to break your heart. Pun intended.”

Oikawa gasped.

“Akaashi is so mean!”

Akaashi shrugged uncharacteristically. Normally, he’d launch into a battle of wits and words with Oikawa, but he was rather… preoccupied today.

 

He picked up the rag and set off cleaning the coffee machine, because it was part of standard operating procedure, and definitely not because he wanted to catch more glimpses of you. It was just coincidence that you were in his line of sight as he went about cleaning the coffee machine. But could he even be blamed for being so entranced by the sight of you? Following your mutual break-up, you’d seemingly vanished from his life, and your sudden absence almost made him question if perhaps the entire relationship was just a figment of his own imagination, perhaps just an extremely realistic dream. So, to have you here in front of his eyes again, it was nothing short of mesmerizing.

 

“Hey Akaashi, do you want to take a break?” Suga’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “Thanks for covering for me and Hinata, by the way.”

“It’s fine,” he said, absently. “I can continue for a while longer.”

Suga cleared his throat. “It’s just… you seem a little, um, distracted today,” he said in a tone so heavily-laced with innocence that it created the opposite effect and put Akaashi on alert.

“Why do you say that?” Akaashi’s voice was even and measured.

“Maybe the fact that you’ve been wiping the milk steamer for two minutes now.”

Akaashi dropped the rag like it had burned him.

“I like to be thorough?” he said off the top of his head, and walked to where Oikawa was to see if he had any plates to be cleared, mostly to escape Suga’s questioning. But Oikawa was only midway through his Quiche Lorraine and his flat white was barely a quarter done.

“Do you want to take your break now? It’s a pretty good time to do so. The café’s rather empty right now and you can go catch up with Y/N-chan as well.”

 

Akaashi narrowed his eyes at Suga, Suga with his facial features and tone of voice all feigning innocence while that crafty mind of his ran amok with conspiracies.

“It’s alright, I think I should go back to doing the accounts.”

“You shouldn’t miss this opportunity, Akaashi. Yachi and Y/N don’t come by very often, y’know,” Suga said, blinking in even more feigned innocence.

Oikawa was currently peering at the two baristas over his coffee mug, and, being the Trashkawa that he is, sensed that something devious was brewing in Suga’s mind. It went without saying that he wanted to get involved.

“Yes, Akaashi, now why would you want to pass this up? Hmm?”

Oikawa all but wiggled his eyebrows at Akaashi. After all, he was part of the volleyball community and he, too, knew all about Akaashi’s short-lived relationship with Y/N and anticipated the awkward encounter he could be firsthand witness to.

“Yes, Akaashi-senpai!!! Go talk to Y/N-chan! She hardly comes by and she’s so buried under college work all the time so this is a rare chance!” Hinata half-shouted from where he was at the cash register. Evidently, he’d picked up on the conversation as well. But unlike Suga’s scheming and Oikawa’s aggravating tone, Hinata’s was full of sincerity. The poor kid probably just said it out of love for his highschool friend and in all likelihood, the notion of it being an opportunity to push Akaashi into an awkward situation didn’t even occur to him at all.

“Here, they look like they’re done with the mille feuille, so you can bring this Nutella tart over to them since you’re going over,” Suga said, pushing the plate of Nutella tart into Akaashi’s hands.

 

Akaashi sighed internally and resigned to his fate, because he knows he’ll never hear the end of it if he doesn’t. He put the plate down and removed his apron, dumping it in Suga’s hands just for a smidgeon of revenge to gratify himself, then grabbed the Nutella tart and headed over to the table you were seated at.

 

Akaashi set the plate down gingerly and you pause mid-sentence to look up at him in surprise.

“ _Konnichiwa_. Mind if I join you guys?”

 

Yachi looked like she’s gone a few shades whiter again, and she exchanged a look with you, but managed a nod after seeing you doing the same. Akaashi smiled a little and took a seat.

 

“Suga insists that you two try the Nutella tart. And it’s on the house, so no worries,” he said, gesturing to the tart and attempting to distract Yachi with inanimate objects the same way he noticed Hinata doing earlier.

“He’s trying to get in my good books, I see. He just keeps feeding me copious amounts of chocolate,” you said, covering up your nervousness with humor, and casually popped a piece of the tart into your mouth. But the moment the creamy Nutella filling hit your tongue, your eyes fluttered shut in your obvious enjoyment, proving that Suga’s antics had worked again despite your wisecracks. “Yachi, quick, you have to try it! It’s really good.”

Yachi was quick to follow suit and was soon nodding and humming in satisfaction as Akaashi chuckled.

 

“If you thought that was good, this takes it a whole new level,” he said, and handed you the salt shaker.

 

You willed yourself not to blush and curbed yourself from overthinking it. Remembering someone’s favorite beverage was simple enough, but to remember your strange habit of sprinkling salt over sweet foods… No, it was plain chance that he suggested it.

You gave the salt shaker a few good shakes nonetheless, and lifted another forkful of chocolate-y goodness into your mouth. The same thick creaminess of Nutella was the first thing to hit your tongue, but your eyes truly brightened when the sharp taste of salt cut through all of that, bringing the experience to a whole new level, just as Akaashi had promised.

Speaking of whom, a quick glance over his way informed you that his gaze was on you. He was taking everything in with those observant eyes of his, and there really was nothing wrong with it, except that it reminded you of the old times when he would watch you and your responses to things. You’d asked him about it once, back when the relationship was new and you were in the stage where you realized you didn’t know him as well as you thought you did prior to getting into a relationship. He’d replied that it was his way of getting to know people; most people ask questions to get to know someone, but he chose to collect information visually.

 

You caught yourself as your silly brain teetered on the verge of going into overdrive with memories of the past. “So, Akaashi, what’s your story?” Your question was posed hastily, providing a means of escape from your spiralling thoughts.

“Meaning?” Confusion etched itself into the furrow of his brow. Your question had been rather abrupt, after all.

You clarified yourself, “How did you end up working in Suga’s café?”

“Oh,” he said, brow unfurrowing itself, and he leaned his cheek in his hand as his gaze travelled up to the ceiling, the way it did whenever he was trying to recall something. “Well, I was pursuing an accounting degree, but in my graduating year, I really started thinking about things and realized I wasn’t certain on selling my soul to the accounting world right after uni. Kenma heard about my dilemma—we were both in the same business faculty, so we occasionally had lunch together. He was the one who suggested I come on board his joint venture with Suga and handle the accounts here while picking up other skills as well.” He interrupted himself with a slight smile as he remembered something with fondness. “And then he mentioned it to Kuroo and needless to say, Kuroo told Bokuto about it. And, well, you know how Bokuto is. He was pestering me day and night to take up the job offer.”

Yachi laughed at that. “I can just imagine the number of messages that Bokuto-san must have flooded your inbox with.”

“What is Bokuto doing nowadays, anyway?” you asked. Talking about other people was a safe option, you surmised, and jumped on it.

“You would never imagine.” Akaashi leaned back and settled into his chair. “He’s a junior coach at Fukurodani now.”

“whAT?!” Yachi’s eyes blew wide. “I mean,” she waved her hands as she retracted her outburst, “he definitely has the volleyball skills for it, but, um, maturity? Oh no, I don’t mean to sound rude but-”

Akaashi waved off her concerns at being offensive. “I just wonder if the team has had to deal with their coach going all emo on them yet.” His eyes were full of mirth.

Seeing that your gamble on steering the conversation to other people had worked—Akaashi looked comfortable with the conversation as he reclined in his seat and bantered on—put you at ease as well. The knot that your stomach had twisted itself into ever since he arrived at the table finally began to loosen and unwind itself and you found yourself falling into the flow of conversation quite naturally as the three of you joked on and amused laughter went all around.

 

Meanwhile, back at the counter, Kuroo emerged from the back room. The former Nekoma captain stretched his arms above his head, working out the kinks he’d gotten in his back from hunching over his laptop screen, while searching the café for Suga so he could demand for his break, when his eyes caught on a very interesting sight. Akaashi Keiji at a table with Y/N, laughing in a carefree manner that was quite different from the deadpan that Kuroo was familiar with.

“Oho?” He quirked an eyebrow as he pulled out his phone.

* * *

 

**#1 Brokuto**

_last seen today at 5:25PM_

OHOHO WHAT IS THIS IS SEE

5.24pm

_1 image attachment_

5:24pm

 

OH

5.24pm

YES OK YES

5.25pm

I WILL FLY DOWN FOR THIS

5.25pm

I AM OWLREADY ON MY WAY

5.25pm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a firm believer in Akaashi's slightly sharp but deadpan humor.  
> Also, Oikawa is the only one who is unhappy by the end of this chapter because he did not get to be firsthand witness to the discomfiting of the imperturbable Akaashi Keiji.


End file.
